CEMML Adopts Name Change

In October 2000, CEMML hosted a panel of three distinguished professionals in military land management for the purpose of reviewing the Center and its programs:

• Dr. J. Douglas Ripley, Natural Resources Manager, Headquarters, US Air Force
• Dr. Russell Harmon, Terrestrial Sciences Program, US Army Research Office
• Colonel Eugene Palka, Ph.D., Geography Program Director, US Military Academy

After spending two days meeting with officials from the Center and the University, the panel concluded, "CEMML is a world-class organization with a reputation for excellence in the research, service, and educational arenas. The future is bright given the continued demand for its service and products and the competence of its directors and staff."

The panel made a number of recommendations for the Center to consider, among them the following:

"Much is conveyed about the scope and orientation of an organization through a name. Given its current capabilities, CEMML would better represent itself by changing its name slightly from the Center for Ecological Management of Military Lands to the Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands. The acronym remains the same, yet such a change would more clearly represent the full scope of CEMML’s continually expanding activities and capabilities."

After careful review, Dr. Shaw and the other directors agreed with the panel’s recommendation. Indeed, the mission of the Center has grown beyond its roots in ecology to include a broad spectrum of environmental services on military installations. Fifteen years ago CEMML got its start conducting biological surveys and monitoring soils and vegetation, and these are still its foundation. Today the Center’s many scientists and professionals are involved in a wide variety of activities that include Environmental Impact Statements, Integrated Natural and Cultural Resource Management Plans, a full spectrum of GIS services, a comprehensive inventory of Army ranges, hazardous waste management, policy formulation, and program management. Thus, this small change in our name reflects a much larger underlying expansion of our traditional mission as we continue to support the Department of Defense in the 21st century.

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